Garment carrying fixture for luggage



April 7, 1942. A. LEVINE GARMENT CARRYING FIXTURE FOR LUGGAGE Filed Sept. 24, 1940 v 3 Sheets-Sheet l wmmmmmmmx INVENTOR. Z

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ATTORNE April 7, 1942. A. LEVINE I 2,278,935

GARMENT CARRYING FIXTURE FOR LUGGAGE Filed Sept. 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (J Z6. 7 y X6 INVENTOR.

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April 7, 3942. LEVINE I GARMENT CARRYING FiXTURE FOR LUGGAGE Filed Sept. 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 1 GARMENT CARRYING FIXTURE FOR LUGGAGE Abraham Levine, Elizabeth, Presto Lock Corporation,

N. J., assignor to Garfield, N. J., a

corporation of New Jersey Application September 24, 1940, Serial No. 358,048 1 Claim. (Cl. 190-41) This invention relates to improvements in garment supporting fixtures for use in luggage; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a garment supporting frame adapted to be pivotally mounted in connection with a luggage case compartment so as to be capable of being swung into and out of the same.

This invention has for an object to provide a garment supporting frameof exceedingly simple form comprising a minimum number of parts and therefore of low cost, the same being adapted to be pivotally mounted in a luggage case cover so-as to fold, with the garments applied thereto, into the cover interior; said framebeing telescopically extensible from a normal initial collapsed or contracted condition when swung out of the cover, whereby its outer free end portion may be projected across the outer limits of the case body, as defined by the front wall of the latter, so as to be supported in overlying relation to said case body with the garment folder bar, carried by said free end portion, disposed outwardly of said case body to suspend free end folds of garments draped over said bar exteriorly of the case body, while at the same time positioning garment hanger means, and garments applied thereto, in a conveniently accessible'position-for removal from or attachment to the frame, as the case may be.

Another object of this invention is to provide a telescopically extensible garment supporting frame having such novel form and arrangement of relatively movable parts or sections that catching or pinching of applied garments with risk of injury thereto is obviated. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide,

in an extensible garment supporting frame of,

the kind mentioned, concealed stop means for limiting the extension of the frame, and related exterior stop means adapted to abut the front wall of a case body, when the frame is extended and swung down over the case body, so as to hold the frame against accidental collapse or displacing shift of its extensible section while the user is applying garments thereto or removing the same therefrom.

shown by full lines as disposed and secured in garment packing position within the interior thereof, partial outswung and extended and fully outswung and extended positions of said frame and garments supported thereby being respectively shown by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1, but drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1, but drawn on an enlarged scale, and showing the fully extended ancloutswung garment supporting frame by full lines.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of telescopically related side members of the frame in normal initial collapsed condition; and Fig. 5 is a similar view of said side members in extended condition; said views being drawn on an enlarged scale.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to'indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character I indicates the body part of a luggage case and 2 indicates the cover part which is suitably hinged thereto for relative opening and closing movements.

The garment supporting and folding frame accordingto this invention comprises a U-shaped inner frame section which provides a transverse pivot bar 3 from the respective ends of which extend the side arms 4. Said inner frame section is of one-piece construction bent into the required U-shape from metallic bar or rod stock or the like. Aflixed to and within the hinged side of the case cover 2 are spaced hinging members 5 in the bearing eyes 6 of which the pivot bar 3 of the inner frame section is journaled, to thus pivotally connect the supporting frame structure for swinging movements into and out of the cover interior.

Carried by said inner frame section is an extensible outer frame section. This outer frame section comprises a pair of transversely spaced apart tubular side members I, to and between the outer free end portions of which is affixed a transverse folder bar 8. The preferred connection between the end portions of said side members 1 and the end portions of said folder bar 8 is that the former extend through and are affixed in openings or eyes 9 with which the latter are provided. ,Afiixed to and between the rearward or inner end portions of said side members 1 is a transverse back bar ll], preferably comprising a rigid fiat metallic strip of suitable width and thickness, and disposed to lie in the plane of the garment supporting frame as a whole. The preferred connection between the end portions of said side members 1 and the end portions of said back bar It is that provided by twisting the end portions of said back bar II] to provide perforate anchor ears I I perpendicular to the flat plane of said back bar body, through the perforations of which the rearward or inner end portions of said tubular side members I extend, until stopped by an annular external forward stop bead I2 with which the said tubular side member end portions are provided; the assembly being thereupon secured in such relation by an external annular stop bead I3 formed in.

connection with the rearward extremities of said side members I.

As thus constructed said outer frame section comprises a rectangular frame with the back bar It disposed at and across its rearward or inner end and said folder-bar 8 disposed at and across its forward or outer end. Said outer frame section, as operatively assembled with said inner frame section is slidably related thereto so as to be capable of a limited outward extension from its normal initially inwardly moved frame collapsing or contracting position. To this end the rearward end portions of the side arms '5 of the outer frame section are respectively telescopically slidably engaged over the free end portions of the side arms 4 of said inner frame section.

Concealed means are provided for limiting the outward sliding extensible movement of the outer frame section relative to the inner frame section. This means comprises an annular stop head M formed in connection with the free extremity of each side arm 4 of the inner frame section, and for cooperation with these stop heads It, each tubular side arm 8 of the outer frame member is provided, in suitably spaced relation to its rearward or inner end, with an internal annular stop shoulder I5 which, when the outer frame section is slid outward to extended relation to said inner frame section, is brought into abutment against a stop head I4 to thus limit such outwardly extending movement of the outer frame section (see more particularly Fig. 5). I

It will be observed that since the cooperating stop-heads I4 and stop shoulders I5 being internally disposed within the side arms 8 of the extensible outer frame section there is no exposure of these parts to possible contact with or by garments mounted on the supporting frame, and consequently all risk is eliminated of garment material being caught or pinched with likelihood of resultant injury thereto when manipulating the supporting frame structure.

Amxed to each side arm 8 of the outer frame section is an external stop means which occupies such outwardly spaced relation to the position of the above described outer frame section extension limiting stop means, that, when said outer frame section occupies its extended position, said external stop means will be disposed to abut the outer face of the front wall to of the case body I so as to obstruct inward or collapsing movement of the extended outer frame section during application of garments to or removal of the same from the supporting frame structure. This external stop means may be given any desired form suitable to its function. Illustrative thereof the same may comprise a collar I 6 having dependent from its under or outer side a stop-lug formation I! which, when provided for detachable connection with the outer frame section back bar. To this end suspension bracket I8 is aflfixed to the back bar If! to project angularly therefrom, preferably perpendicular to the plane of the supporting frame,

and adjacent to its free end, said bracket I8 is provided with a stop-pin I9 angularly projecting from its rearward or underside face.

The reference character 20 indicates a garment hanger, which may be made of any suitable material and of desired shape or design, the same being illustratively shown as made of bent wire, centrally provided at its top side with a coupler plate 2i having a slotted free end portion 22 so shaped as to pass over the bracket I8 and its stop-pin I5 and thus hang from said bracket in coupled relation thereto. Preferably a suspension hook member 23 is pivotally mounted on said coupler plate 2I, the same having a laterally bifurcate lock means 24 movable by turning of said suspension hook member for interposition between the slotted free end portion 22 of the coupler plate and said stop-pin I9, thereby to prevent accidental displacement of said coupler plate from operative engaged. relation to said bracket I8.

Means is provided for locking the supporting frame, when collapsed and swung upwardly into the interior of the case cover section, against accidental outward displacement from said cover section. An illustrative form of means to serve such purpose comprisescasing members 25 which in suitable locations to the side walls of said case cover section 2, and by which are pivotally supported outwardly extending upwardly yieldable spring-pressed latch-hooks 26. Aflixed to and projecting axially from the respective extremities of the folder bar 6 of said outer frame section are look pins 27. When the supporting frame is collapsed and swung upwardly into the case cover section, said lock pins 21 are operatively engaged and embraced by the latch-hooks 26, thus securely but releasably holding the supporting frame against out-swinging displacement from its entered garment packing position within said case cover interior.

In the use and operation of the garment supporting frame, assuming that the case cover part 2 is in open relation to the case body part I, and that the frame has been released and outwardly and downwardly swung and extended across the open top of said case body part I, ready to receive application of a garment or garments thereto, as shown in Fig. section, being outwardly slid relative to the pivoted inner frame section, will be so disposed that its outer portion will extend over and forwardly beyond the front wall w of the case body part I, and so as to be supported thereby. When so disposed, the stop lugs II carried on the side members I of the outer frame section will depend therefrom so as to abut the exterior face of said case body front wall w, being thus stopped 3, the outer frame against inward sliding or accidental shifting While the user is applying garments to the frame.

same to the outer frame section back bar move bodily outward to a position entirely out of and A garment G is mounted on and so as to depend from a hanger 2U, whereupon the latter, if not already attached thereto, is coupled with the bracket [8 carried by the back bar 10 of the outer frame section. The garment G is then extended smoothly outwardly over the outer frame section so as to extend over the folder bar 8 thereof, whereby a free end or fold portion g of the garment depends freely from said folder bar 8.

The garment G being thus connected with and arranged on the outer frame section, the frame as a whole is upswung about its pivotal connection with the case cover section toward the interior of the latter, thereby freeing the stop lugs H from the case body front wall w, whereupon the outer frame section is slid inwardly upon the inner frame section so as to contract the overall length of the frame as a whole to thereby accommodate the same to the dimensions of the case cover part 2 for admission thereinto. This inward movement of the outer frame section relative to the inner frame section is limited by abutment of the back bar I8 of the 'former against the hinge bearing eyes 6. Continued inswinging of the thus contracted frame will carry the same into the case cover interior, whereupon the lock pins 21 will snap under and be retentively engaged by latch-hooks 26, thus locking the frame into said case cover interior. As the frame is thus swung to upstanding position within the case cover interior, the free end or fold portion g of the garment G will swing down upon and substantially parallel to the outer side of the frame, the garment being thus smoothly folded and disposed in packed relation to and within the case cover interior. Said case cover may be provided with a garment covering curtain, garment retaining cross-straps or like elements (not shown but well known to the art) for retaining the garment fold portion g against displacement when the case cover 2 is swung down into closed relation to the case body I.

It will be obvious that a reversal of the above described operations will return the frame to down-swung and extended condition over the case body for removal of the garments.

It will be noticed that the garment is carried by and moved in and out with the outer frame section, and, as a consequence of this, the garment hangers 2!] and means for attaching the well forward of the case cover interior and toward the forward or front side of the case body I, thus being disposed for easy, quick and most convenient access and manipulation during the operations of applying or removing garments from the supporting frame structure, and thereby greatly simplifying and facilitating the packing operations.

From the above description it will be apparent that the instant invention provides a very simple, inexpensive and yet highly convenient garment supporting and folding fixture for luggage cases and the like; the same having a minimum of moving parts, and these so arranged that risk of catching, pinching, tearing or other injury to the garments has been avoided.

I claim:

In combination with a luggage case having a body and a cover hinged thereto, an extensible garment supporting frame adapted in contracted condition to swing into said cover and in extended condition to swing downwardly over the open case body, said case cover and frame having means to releasably secure the latter, when contracted, within the former, said frame comprising an inner section formed from a single rod bent into U-shape to provide a transverse base portion and longitudinal freely extending legs terminating at their free ends in stop heads, saidinner section being pivotally mounted by its transverse base portion within the case cover adjacent to the hinged end thereof, an outer section having tubular side members telescopically engaged slidably over the legs of said inner section, said side members having internal stop means spaced from'their inner ends to cooperate with said stop heads of the inner section legs whereby to limit outward sliding extension of said outer section, said side members being connected at their inner ends by a transverse back bar and at their outer ends by a transverse folder bar, a garment hanger, means to detachably couple said hanger to said outer section back bar, and means carried by the outer section side members engageable with the exterior face of the case body front wall when said outer section is extended thereover, whereby to prevent inwardly shifting displacement of said outer section from such extended position.

ABRAHAM LEVINE. 

